In multiple access wireless communications systems, multiple wireless terminals are typically in competition for limited air link resources. A wireless terminal, operating in a state supporting uplink and downlink user data traffic signaling, typically needs to communicate control information reports to its base station attachment point. Information communicated by such control information reports allows the base station attachment point to characterize the wireless terminal and effectively allocate resources. As the popularity and variety of wireless communication services has increased, the demand for supporting multiple users has grown. One approach to being able to support increased numbers of users is to include various different states of wireless terminal operation which require lower levels of air link resources but still allow the wireless terminal to be a registered user, e.g., a sleep state and a hold state in which the wireless terminal does not have a dedicated control channel for communicating uplink control reports. Then, the wireless terminal can be transitioned to and maintained in a state in which a dedicated uplink control channel is provided to the wireless terminal as needed or permitted.
A wireless terminal being maintained in a state in which the wireless terminal is permitted to transmit user data state on an ongoing basis typically needs to routinely communicate control channel information reports, and one approach is to use a recurring reporting structure. The recurring reporting structure may be over a relatively long time interval, and some of the reports may be rather infrequently reported. This simplified approach of using a recurring reporting structure for the dedicated control channel, although useful for ongoing control channel reporting, is not well suited for initial entry into a state in which the wireless terminal is allocated uplink resources for communicating user data such as text, audio, and/or application data. For example, depending upon the point within the recurring structure that the WT transitions to the state in which it is allowed to transmit user data, the base station attachment point may have to wait for a long time to receive a particular infrequently transmitted report, which may be important to efficient resource allocation.
Based on the above, there is a need for methods and apparatus which accommodate different control channel reporting needs if a wireless terminal has just transitioned into a state in which it will be allowed to transmit user data or is already operating in such a state.